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  • 1.  Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-09-2020 10:15 PM

    Hello,

     

    I am looking for any information from museums that have been open during the pandemic and were enforcing recommended COVID related health policies.  Specifically I am curious what percentage capacity you operated at and what your attendance numbers were versus a "normal" exhibit?

     

    Our Space has been closed since before the pandemic because of various construction projects but will be opening again this Spring and I was curious as to what we may expect.

     

    Justin Witte

    Director and Curator

    Cleve Carney Museum of Art

    McAninch Arts Center

    College of DuPage

     

    @clevecarneymuseumofart

    (630) 942-3206

     

    Sorry if this email is hard to understand, I'm wearing a mask.

     

     

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 2.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-10-2020 09:11 AM
    Hi Justin,

    The Art Museum of WVU reopened in late August when the academic semester began. We operated on a reduced schedule staying open just 3 days/week, but with longer hours and advanced timed ticket entry. Students remained on campus most of the semester. Our monthly walk-in + (very limited) tour attendance has averaged around 200-225 this year compared to about 600-700 normally.

    We have two gallery spaces in the museum, one for permanent collection exhibits and the other for traveling exhibits. We got lucky with the timing of one of our traveling exhibits and had both galleries open when we reopened to the public, so I think that helped our numbers.

    ------------------------------
    Andrea Eridani
    Administrative Associate
    Art Museum of West Virginia University
    Morgantown WV
    ------------------------------

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 3.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-10-2020 11:16 AM
    Our exhibits were closed for three months, but our gift shop was allowed to reopen earlier than that. We have been restricted to 50 people at a time (including staff) in our 25,000 square feet of exhibits. In normal years, we never have more people than that here at one time anyway, unless we are holding a special event, so that restriction has not really hurt us too much. Face masks are required and people are supposed to stay 6 feet away from anyone they are unrelated to. We have disabled most interactive parts of exhibits and clean frequently touched surfaces and bathrooms every day we are open.

    The number of visitors from March through November this year was 48.9% of the number during the corresponding period of 2019. Admissions income was 56.6% of the 2019 level. Gift shop sales were only 81.5% of the 2019 level during that period. In addition to lower admissions and gift shop income, many other revenue streams performed at lower than budgeted levels.

    This year has been tough for us. Thanks to COVID-relief grants and loans, we have survived.

    ------------------------------
    Stephen Whittington PhD
    Executive Director
    National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum
    Leadville CO
    ------------------------------

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 4.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-10-2020 11:45 AM

    HI Stephen,

     

    Thank you for sharing this information! I am glad you are able to be open and that your gift shop is doing close to normal numbers.  This is such a tough year I hope you and your staff are doing well and let's hope for a great 2021! 

     

    Justin Witte

    Director and Curator

    Cleve Carney Museum of Art

    McAninch Arts Center

    College of DuPage

     

    @clevecarneymuseumofart

    (630) 942-3206

     

    Sorry if this email is hard to understand, I'm wearing a mask.

     

     

     




    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 5.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-10-2020 05:36 PM
    Hi Justin
    I am a museum food service consultant with clients across the country. I have spoken to 30+ clients who have re-opened. The large majority of them have reported their attendance has averaged 15-20% of previous years attendance in the same month. There was one outlier that was closer to 45% but the rest have been in the previously mentioned range.


    ------------------------------
    Tracy Lawler
    President
    JGL Food Service Consultants
    Princeton NJ
    ------------------------------

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 6.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-11-2020 08:27 AM
      |   view attached
    I have attached a report we presented at AMMC regarding the impact of Covid on visitation.  Basically, the data suggest that over a one year period attendance will be down a minimum of 33%.  This can be impacted significantly by region however, those on the West Coast and Northeast will be down more as Covid related restrictions and reactions are stronger than in other places.  Outdoor experiences like botanical gardens and zoos may actually experience a rise in attendance assuming the experience isn't diminished due to mask wearing.  Hopefully this helps a little.  


    ------------------------------
    John Morey
    Morey Consulting
    www.moreyconsulting.com
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    AMMC Presentation 2020.pdf   249 KB 1 version
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 7.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-11-2020 10:18 AM

    Hello,

     

    Thanks for the question.  The answers are helpful to me to gauge where we stand.  SHLC is a smaller mid-size museum in a rural/suburban area that reopened at half hours in July.  We disinfect daily, "try to" enforce social distancing, and of course require masks. We also instituted some virtual programming at that time. (We have had to close again this week until at least Jan. 4 due to state regulations.) 

     

    Our museum and library attendance has ranged from a 35% drop to actually a gain in October.  That month we offered by reservation family-size tours to our top donors, and they took us up on it!  The gift shop however is off by half, and programs, despite the virtual offerings, are off by almost 90% because of no community festivals or field trips.

     

    Beth A. Twiss Houting

    Executive Director

    Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center

    105 Seminary Street

    Pennsburg, PA  18073

    215-679-3103

    info@schwenkfelder.com

    www.schwenkfelder.com

     

     




    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 8.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-11-2020 10:23 AM
    Hello Justin, 
    Here's some additional resources for you: the first is from the excellent blog, Know Your Own Bone, by Colleen Dilenschneider; it is her most recent analysis (posted earlier this week) of data on museums and other cultural institutions in light of the vaccine news: https://www.colleendilen.com/2020/12/09/vaccination-news-is-already-changing-plans-to-visit-cultural-entities-in-2021-data/
    In addition, yesterday Membership Consultants posted its ongoing survey results showing this year as compared to previous years; interesting to review and compare - here's that link: http://www.membership-consultants.com/index.cfm/news-resources/covid-19-membership-impact-survey-results-august-september-webinar/
     
    Hope this helps,
    Karen Mariani
    Membership Consultants

    ------------------------------
    Karen Mariani
    Membership Consultants, A Gabriel Group Company
    karen.mariani@gabrielgroup.com
    (314) 771-4664
    ------------------------------

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 9.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-11-2020 11:19 AM
    Hi Justin,

    I would agree with Tracy's feedback on attendance numbers, but having worked with a number of art museums on college campuses like your what Tracy provided might not be the best apples-apples attendance comparisons to use.

    I would recommend you reach out to peer museums at other similar campuses as the attendance at these, likely depending on the college's overall educational services, student, faculty and staff participation/activity on campus, can maybe provide you more personal and comparable attendance history.

    If any questions, feel free to call write or call me, no cost/charge of course. :)

    Be safe and healthy.

    Hope this helps.
    Best regards,
    Art Manask

    ------------------------------
    Art Manask
    Principal
    Art Manask Consulting
    artmanask@gmail.com
    818 358-3588
    ------------------------------

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 10.  RE: Attendance Numbers

    Posted 12-14-2020 08:51 AM
    The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) has been collecting just these kind of data from our members in the Weekly Attendance and Operations Survey.

    The first aggregate report from this survey shows that that visits are down almost 75% from the same period last year. We also estimate that our member science centers and museums lost more than $600 million in revenue over the first six months of the pandemic.


    ------------------------------
    Adam Fagen
    Director of Communications and Advocacy
    Association of Science-Technology Centers
    Washington DC
    ------------------------------

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more